by Vivien Reis
They set off at a slow pace toward their left, the opposite direction of the caves. The paved path ended and became hard-packed earth. Trees crowded in on either side, making the trail just wide enough for the both of them.
“So how did you get involved in all of this?” Abi asked.
“Every Oracle is tracked down, assessed, and initiated into Elysia, normally at a young age. I first came here when I was eight.”
As they walked, the stiffness in her legs eased. "And fifteen isn't normal?"
"Not unheard of." He shrugged. The path narrowed just enough that his arm nearly grazed hers with each step. It sent of ripple of energy all the way to her toes. "I'm sure it's happened before, but the oldest new initiate I've found was twelve. We’re not always born to an Oracle parent, so that’s where the difficulty in finding them comes in."
“I don’t understand, though. What exactly is an Oracle? I haven’t heard anything about people telling fortunes or reading someone’s future from their tea leaves, and what do you mean assessed? What about the King’s Army?”
“Whoa, slow down. I can tell no one’s really talked to you about this yet.”
“I think everyone intends to keep me in the dark for the rest of my life.”
“Okay, Daria,” he said, referencing an animated show she’d only seen a few times. “Being an Oracle allows you to alter your perception, and the perception of those around you to whatever you want.”
“So you can make something from nothing?”
“That is a debatable topic, but no. As soon as you stop influencing those around you, the altered reality fades. We can also teleport, as you know, summon some of Deia’s energy to use in combat, and a lot of other things that would take too long for me to explain on this short walk.” He reached into his pocket for a moment and Abi spotted a small stone in his hand.
“What’s that?” Surely he didn’t need one to protect his thoughts like she did.
He held it up for her to see. It was white and opaque, its edges smooth. “It’s called a Crux, but I guess it’s kind of like a diary. You get one in your first year here. It’s like an open dialogue with yourself, keyed to only your mind.”
“Like those cheap locks on diaries that never actually work. Except this actually works…” she added, her attempt at a joke falling flat. “And the King’s Army?”
"Well, they feed on the energy that makes us Oracles—given to us by our God, Deia. Their perversion of this energy leaves a scorch until balance is restored, which is how we knew something was going on in Logan’s Bluff. The take the energy and twist it.”
The man. The room in the basement. Cold and dark and hungry. She knew firsthand how twisted they were.
"You think they kidnapped me for...for more power?"
Jesse's head moved side to side in thought. "We don't know yet. But according to Myra they were darkening you. It's still there on the edges of your mind."
Just last night Myra had said she’d bumped into something in her mind. Was that what she’d meant?
"Your mind is healing itself, but it'll take time. Whatever ritual they performed on you, it left a mark, separate from the forced microhop to Elysia."
Abi looked up, staring at the now bright sky. She wasn't an athletic person, and she was socially awkward at times, but she’d always been good at academics. Her mind would heal. She would figure this out.
“So your mom has no idea about any of this?” Abi had a million questions she wanted to ask but this was the first to form properly.
“Nope. Gotta keep it that way.” He was walking close enough to her that she could smell his cologne. The smell of it didn’t remind her of Cora or his home, but it was his own. It reminded her of every small opportunity she’d had to see him.
“And your dad? Was he an Oracle too?” She hadn’t ever talked to Jesse about his dad.
“He was.” That was all he seemed to want to say on the matter and she wondered if she had upset him when he stepped off the path. "I wanted to show you something first. Over here." He had a playful edge to his voice, stepping deeper into the trees before turning to wait for her.
A memory of Abi's run from the men flashed behind her eyes.
"Come on, it'll only take a minute." He gave her a reassuring but patient look.
Something told her not to step off the path, but she quieted it down. She knew Jesse, had known him since she’d known Cora. They hadn’t exactly been friends but he had saved her. He’d listened when she called.
She stepped off the path and joined him. "What are we doing?" Bird whistled and sang in the distance, waking up as the sun climbed higher in the sky.
After walking a few paces into the forest, Jesse turned and held out his hands. "Take them. I want to show you something."
It was a simple gesture, but Abi hesitated, looking at his hands. She’d wanted to hold this hands for…she diverted her attention, aware of her own thoughts.
Instead of prompting her again, Jesse gave her a very pointed look, opening and closing his hands as he waited.
Abi scanned the area and wiped her hands on her jeans before placing them into his. Why were they holding hands in the middle of the woods?
"Take a deep breath."
They stood uncomfortably close and Abi fought the urge to take a step back. He stared intensely into Abi's eyes and it stole her heart for a beat.
Closing his eyes, Jesse let out a sharp exhale, and a jolt of electricity hit Abi’s hands. She pulled away, nearly tripping backward on a root.
"What was that?" Her hands appeared fine but the after-effects of the shock still flowed to her fingertips. Had she imagined it?
"It's okay. It feels strange at first, but it won't hurt you." Again, he held out his hands.
Won't be hurt by it? Abi tried to reason with herself—did he have some sort of device that had shocked her? Was this a hoax to get her to believe all the fantastical things she'd heard?
She couldn’t picture Jesse doing that, but then again, she didn’t really know him. She’d grown up around him, had seen his playful banter with Cora a thousand times, but he’d lived a different life, a secret life. There was something trusting about him, like he was the one trusting her and not the other way around.
Or I could be totally wrong and he's a serial killer.
Jesse laughed. "Your lack of trust is understandable."
"Kindly get out of my head please." Abi straightened and stepped forward, pausing before grabbing his hands again.
This time, Abi was expecting the jolt. It peaked and then faded to a gentle tingling in her hands. She watched them, expecting them to alight with a spark of some kind.
But nothing happened other than the strange sensation.
"Close your eyes."
Abi looked up to Jesse, who already had his eyes closed. She waited a few seconds and then followed suit.
"Do you hear the sea gulls off in the distance?" His voice was low and slow.
Straining, Abi did hear them.
"Do you hear the rustling of the trees overhead?"
Abi could picture them moving in her mind, the sound of the leaves rubbing against one another and the breeze loud in her imagination. The feel of Jesse’s hands, warm and strong in her own.
"Yes."
"Try to open your mind. Open it to every sound you hear, every insect you feel flying near you, every part of the earth beneath your feet."
She tried for a moment before opening her eyes again. Was he serious? And then something flickered in the corner of her vision.
The sun still hadn't fully risen, and a blanket of dark green vegetation swallowed the path before them.
At least, it had been swallowed by dark green vegetation.
Now, there were tiny pulsations of light coming from the plants, the leaves, the tree trunks. Everything she saw had a dim blue glow to it. Even the leaves at her feet had tiny threads of light going through them, like veins in an arm.
"You're an Oracle, Abi. You’re doing t
his."
She could hear the smile on Jesse's lips but didn't take her eyes away from the scene before her. She reached out with one hand to touch the leaf of a vine that snaked its way up a nearby trunk. It pulsed brighter at her touch, absorbing the new light she gave it, brighter than the rest now.
The entire forest glowed with energy. Dew drops glistened with their own aura, hanging in the air before drifted to the ground.
"Abi."
She finally met Jesse's gaze. "What's happening?"
Her heart pounded hard in her chest, but she also felt carefree, like she might burst into laughter at any moment.
"You're doing this. With my help, that is." He looked down at their hands.
To make a point, he let go. All the surrounding light faded until the forest floor was dark green again. The giddiness left Abi, and something hollow took its place.
"How are you feeling?" A serious tone had taken place of his playful one.
"Fine." But her voice was flat, devoid of emotion. She stared around at the leaves, expecting them to alight at any moment.
"The first stirring—the first magic you perform—always feels this way. It's almost addicting," he said with a grin. "Would you like to sit down? You might need a second. Don’t tell Myra we did that. She might kill me."
Abi was vaguely aware of being led somewhere, and then she was sitting on a hard stump.
"That tingling you experienced was our energies being pulled together to create a new reality." Jesse gripped Abi's arm like she was taking a pulse but in the wrong spot.
"But...how?" Abi touched a nearby plant, but it was disappointingly green.
"That's our gift." He wore a serious expression, like this gift was more of a burden. "We can do amazing things, Abi. But it's our duty to protect that precious gift."
"What do you mean?"
With a wry grin, he held his hand out to her. “Come on. Myra will be expecting us.”
They walked on in silence, Abi trying to comprehend what had just happened. If she were capable of doing…magic, then what other skills did she have? Everyone seemed to have their own place here, but what was hers? Did she even belong—
Her thoughts froze as the path abruptly ended. She glanced at Jesse, who was watching her, to make sure what she saw was real.
They weren't in the quaint jungle anymore. Three large buildings were spaced out in front of them, the closest a domed one predominantly made of glass and situated so close to the lake it seemed like it was floating. This was the building she could clearly see from the cave yesterday morning.
Beyond that was another large building made of rough stone and rock, with odd angles and green vines creeping up the walls. Just beyond was a mountain-scape with morning mist rolling through the valleys. Abi had never seen so many shades of green in one place—the lake, the neon grass in front of her, the dark greens of the mountains visible through the glass building.
"What do you think?"
“It’s…”
“Beautiful,” he finished.
"Uh-huh." She hadn’t pictured something like this on a tropical island, where her quarters resembled a thatch-roofed hut.
A few people were walking down the wide path in front of them, now paved with smooth cobblestones. They were talking animatedly to one another and seemed only a few years older than Jesse.
"This is Elysia Square. Come on. This first building is our library. Even if I didn't think you already liked books I would tell you to go check it out at some point—trust me, there's no library like this one in the entire world."
The glass panes glistened as they walked, the bright sun making it surprisingly difficult to make out what lay just on the other side of the glass. There were dozens of narrow and impossibly tall bookshelves in neat lines, but the books looked odd from what little she could see.
"Is this a public library?" Abi could think of a million things to research—things that might allow her to get back to her family sooner.
"It is, but...I'll show you later. It's not exactly your typical library."
Three younger girls were sitting in a circle in the grass across from the library. They didn't seem to be talking, instead staring into the air above one another's heads. Following their gaze, Abi saw three seagulls circling high above them.
"The girls are telepathically linking themselves to the birds."
"Oh. Just three little girls controlling birds up in the sky. That's all?"
He ignored her sarcastic jab. "Actually, we have a sport based on that. Kind of like hide-and-seek but a little more extreme.” His grin was quick but intoxicating, his eye contact making her feel like a spotlight was on her. One she didn’t want to step out of.
"So, that field the girls are in is where we have any meetings or festivals since it's so large. And that,” he said, pointing ahead of them, “is the research labs and hospital."
A few men and women walked in and out of the building wearing white clothes resembling scrubs. As they drew nearer to it, Abi had to strain her neck to look up at the grey-stoned structure. It was the tallest building she had ever seen, but that wasn't saying much.
Myra waved from the top of the steps, walking down to meet them. Now that she wasn't so distracted, Abi noticed Myra wore a long skirt with the shirt tucked in and pale oxford heels. They didn't look at all like shoes Myra should be giving a tour of the island in.
“Thanks Jesse.”
“Anytime,” he said, giving Abi another smile, and a quick wave before he hopped away.
"So this section in front is the emergency center, the two smaller buildings on either side are the classrooms, and the taller building attached to the back is where all the research happens."
Even though she wasn't interested in any medical studies, Abi still thought a research lab would look different. She was expecting security and fencing and secret badges.
"Well, security is heightened for access into the actual research lab, but it's not your typical security system."
Abi was waiting for Myra to pull out some kind of badge, but her hand rose straight to her temple and tapped on it.
"There's no key or ID badge like the mind."
Myra kept walking like everything she had said was absolutely normal, the path curving to the right of the massive building. "If you plan on staying, you might end up taking a few classes in these classrooms, but you'll mainly be starting out down there." Myra pointed to their right, down a path canopied by dense trees. “We aren’t going there today, but there’s a school building at the end of this path. We’re going just far enough to get you that thought crystal.”
They walked away from the lake, the trees thinning as little shops popped up along the winding path. The canopy wasn’t just tree limbs anymore. Blooming lavender and wisteria wove together above them like a ceiling of flowers, hanging down in large clumps. As the path straightened, either side of the now wide path was lined with little buildings, people moving from one shop to the other.
"This is the marketplace. As you've noticed, we have members here from all over the world, so there's some amazing exotic foods and sweets you can buy, clothes, trinkets, things like that." Abi watched some shoppers picking up oddly shaped fruits and vegetables as they passed. "A lot of people purchase these things for their loved ones back home or to eat while they're here on business."
More people meandered in the streets, stopping to look into the windows of the shops that were just opening. The scent of freshly baked bread wafted from a shop called Oma's Sweetcakes. Her stomach growled. It was noisy—most of the windows and doors of each shop were open, the smells of smoked meat and baked sweets mixing with the ocean breeze.
"Up here are the specialty shops, where you can purchase any neotech you might want." Myra heard Abi's unasked question. "Just like our advantage in medicine, we can also apply our abilities to technology. The type of energy we use is stored and transferred differently than traditional electricity, so there's a host of neat tech here." One shop in part
icular had what looked like a bike with no chain and pedals, like a mini-motorcycle.
Myra let someone pass before crossing to the other side of the street. "Here is where the bulk of your future shopping will be."
The shop before her was easily four times bigger than any other they had passed and looked like a confusing maze on the inside. Incense blew through the windows and a couple talked inside in hushed voices, like it was a library. The shelves weren't arranged in any pattern that Abi could recognize, but they were all filled with the same thing—crystals.
Hundreds, maybe even thousands of crystals of all shapes, colors, and sizes were packed into every corner.
They entered the store and Myra navigated to the front. Abi followed, trying to check out everything without bumping into any of the oddly placed aisles.
"Hi, Gertrude." Myra reached over the counter and a pair of knobby and wrinkled hands popped out from behind a beaded curtain.
"Myyrraaaa." The woman's voice was hoarse, but she wore a wide smile, grabbing Myra's hand in both of her own. "I'm so happy you came. We just got another batch of West African earth stones. Would you like to see them?"
"Oh, yes please!"
Abi couldn't help but smirk seeing Myra so genuinely excited over a crystal.
"Why, who's your friend?"
"I'm so sorry." She introduced them and Abi stepped forward. Although the woman's hands were covered in wrinkles, they were smooth to the touch.
With a firm shake, Gertrude added, "I'm so happy you've joined us, my dear."
"Gertrude is a Diviner, a High Priestess Diviner to be specific. Basically, she knows more about crystals than anyone else on the planet."
"Oh, you hush. Some are given with medicine," she smiled at Myra, "I am given with crystals. It's that simple! Now, I see you're just starting out. We'll set you up with an Indian thought crystal. I'm guessing that's why you two came in today."
Gertrude hobbled around the counter, mumbling. For a moment, Abi thought the woman was speaking to her, but she continued on, walking purposefully through the aisles, leaving them at the counter.
"She's a hoot. I've been waiting so long to get another West African earth stone, Gertrude knows me too well!"
